


The Best Lieutenant

by eswriter68



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Cooking, F/M, Intimacy, James Vega - Freeform, Mass Effect 3, Original Character(s), Poker, Poker Nights, Romance, Sexual Content, Smut, normandy sr2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-28
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-04-01 17:47:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4029043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eswriter68/pseuds/eswriter68
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Mass Effect 3 there is no Cook.  You also can't have a relationship with the HOT James Vega unless you want a one night stand.  This is a short romance story between a new Character, LT. Jessica Walker, who will be the cook on the Normandy, and James Vega.  This is a rough draft. If you like where I went with this... leave a comment. I will consider adding more to the story.  Right now there is just these two chapters.  I rather like how I ended it. :) Hope you like it too!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Position

The Best Lieutenant

Jess Walker looked down at the formal letter in front of her. Hackett had hand delivered it to her and he sat quietly across the table from her as she read it to herself. She had read it twice; she had not been chosen to join the Normandy team. The document complimented her accomplishments as a First Lieutenant but since she was still recovering from a severe shoulder injury she was taken off of active duty. The military was her life and now with the Reapers invading she wanted to keep helping defend her people. The letter was clear and final; since the Admiral himself took the time to deliver it she did her best to check her emotions. Her hand shook as she held the paper and she searched for the right words to respond, Hackett had been a friend of the family and her mentor for as long as she could remember. 

“I’m sorry Jessica. We really need our top people on the Normandy and although you deserve to be there I won’t risk putting you in that position until I know you can handle your rifle again.” Hackett offered in his attempt to soften the blow of her not being chosen. 

“My shoulder is much better now and I can use a handgun. If I equip a high powered scope I can still snipe better than most soldiers.” She knew this was an exaggeration, in her last evaluation; her hand shook as she tried to scope in on the targets. 

“I’m sure you can. But they have chosen another Lieutenant, who is not injured and has a great deal of experience with guns and maintaining the armory. We can reevaluate you again in 6 months and maybe find a place on the Normandy for you then.” Hackett added compassionately.

“So that’s it?” she said quietly. “In 6 months we could all be …” she stopped herself from saying more. Hackett had gone out of his way to show her that they had considered her and they respected her, she didn’t want to disrespect him or the ability of any other soldiers. 

“My hands are tied. I know you are a great soldier, one of the best, but unless you want to be a cook on the Normandy, they have filled all the positions.” He stepped forward and placed his hand on her arm. “Your father was a very good friend to me and I know he is looking down on you and smiling. I hope you know that I would do anything I could to help you. You make us all proud. We just need you to be at your best before you go back to the front line.” He backed away and she saluted him and he returned the salute. 

“Thank you for considering me, Sir.” Jess swallowed hard to hold back her emotions. 

Hackett left and Jess walked slowly over to her bunk. She sat heavily down on the side. Shrugging her sore shoulder she tried to flex her hand and arm out in front of her and hold it there. She could keep her hand from shaking for about 30 seconds and then… there it was… the unsteady proof that she wasn’t ready. It was much better than before but she wasn’t back to her old self. Not yet at least. She lay back on her cot and stared at the bottom of the top bunk.

She felt empty; she wanted to be on board the Normandy. She had heard stories of Shepard and her crew and she had imagined herself fighting beside them. She was the top pick for every Special Forces mission until she fell from a 3 story building on training mission 4 months before the reaper attack on Earth. She had landed fully on her shoulder and for a while the doctors told her that her military career was completely over. She had worked hard in Physical Therapy to recover and prove them wrong. She had recently been released from PT but she had not been able to use her rifle during her assessment. She could still shoot accurate enough to pass her evaluations but she was no longer the top pick.  
A tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it away quickly refusing to let more flow. A voice at the door made her sit up. 

“Jess, come on lets go get some food I’m starving!” Jennifer gave her a most dramatic famished look. 

“You’re always hungry.” Jess replied sarcastically. 

“True, but if you would cook some of your good food we wouldn’t have to eat out all the time.” Jennifer replied smartly and stuck her tongue out at Jess. “I’m wilting! I need sustenance!” She clutched her stomach and staggered comically towards Jessica. “Please?!” she begged. 

The Barracks did have a small kitchen but since the injury Jess had barely used it. She smiled and fought back a chuckle at the sheer drama of her friend, “Ok, should we go to the store and get something to cook or should we just eat out …again?” 

“Will you make Lasagna?” Jennifer popped upright quickly satisfied that she gotten the desired result. 

“Argh, that’s a tall order… but OK.” Jess agreed. She didn’t know how she would’ve gotten through the last few months without her friend’s shenanigans.  
*********

“Wow it’s all gone?” Jess looked at the empty casserole dish. She had eaten a healthy portion herself along with Jennifer. Then a few other soldiers had come in and the rest disappeared quickly. They were sitting around the table with empty plates and a look of happy contentment on their faces.  
“That was delicious! You should cook more often.” replied one of the Corporals who looked like he wanted to lick his plate clean.  
Murmurs of agreement were all around the room. Jess smiled and then froze in deep thought. She got up from the table. “Well since you all liked my hard work so much how about you do the dishes… I have a call to make.”

******  
The next time the Normandy pulled into the Citadel, Lt. Jessica Walker loaded her military trunk onto the Normandy. She knew this was just a cook’s position but it got her aboard. She would not be recognized by her rank in this position. She was just Jess Walker, the cook, but she didn’t care. She needed to be up front, to be a part of this team, even if it was just to feed them. She could still defend the Normandy Crew if they were ever boarded. If her arm improved she would have a connection to them and she would be ready if they needed to fill a military position. 

Jess slid her trunk under the only available bunk in the sleep cabin on the 3rd deck of the ship. It was crowded with 8 bunk beds. There could potentially be 16 people sleeping in this one room at any given time. Without her rank she couldn’t ask for a better sleeping arrangement. So far people seemed friendly, very friendly actually. She introduced herself to Gabby, who was on break from engineering. When Gabby asked what position Jess was in, she told her that she would be the new cook. Everyone within earshot gasped or made positive remarks welcoming her and one even thanked God for her being there. “Well, it’s nice to be appreciated… before I even start.” She smiled genuinely at everyone and was surprised at how happy she felt at that moment. This was a good start. 

The room door slid open and everyone turned to see a delivery person standing near a cart that held several big boxes. He was holding a digital clipboard. “Is Jess Walker in here?” he stammered as he read off her name.

“That’s me.” She waved her hand and walked up to him. 

“I need for you to sign for these supplies.” He handed her the device and pointed to where she should sign. 

“I thought the ship was already stocked?” She countered as she signed the document. 

“This came with it.” He handed her an envelope. “Where should I put the supplies?”

Taking the envelope she pointed behind him and led him to the kitchen area. She had attracted a lot of attention and word was spreading fast that there was now a cook. She had him leave the boxes next to the counter and she looked around the very open kitchen area. Most of the main crew was on the Citadel taking care of whatever business they had to do. The few left on the ship gathered around the table nearby and chatted as they waited to see what she would prepare. She really wasn’t sure what she should make. She looked at the huge boxes and hoped she could find room in the cabinets and cold storage to hold whatever was inside. 

She looked down at the envelope. It just had her name on the front. Turning it over there was a fancy cursive H embossed on the back. Opening it slowly she pulled out a card.

Jessica, 

I know this is not the position you wanted, but if you are going to take it,  
I want you to have the best supplies. It may not last long, but you should  
be able to impress the team with your good cooking. I know your Mother  
taught you well. This is a gift from me to a soldier who has been like a  
daughter to me. 

Take care of yourself and all the soldiers there.

Sincerely,  
Hackett

She smiled again, shaking her head in amazement. She was excited to see what she would find. She began to open the first box when she heard the delivery guy coming towards her with two coolers on a hand truck. He saw her disbelief, “This is the last of it.” She thanked him and glanced at the cabinets with even more concern about fitting whatever was in the boxes into the available space in the mess area. 

Gabby jumped up from the table, “Need help? I don’t need to get back to engineering for at least an hour.”

“Um Ok, if you want to help.” She felt happily overwhelmed. 

The first box was full of spices with a spice rack and below that there were containers of dried peppers and garlic and onions. The next box held a top of the line mixer, a food processor and a very impressive knife set. The first two things she could leave on the counter but she decided she might want to lock up the knife set with her own belongings. The knives were so fancy and they came in a leather case with a built in sharpener. The final crate held high quality cooking oils, wine, marinades and sauces that she could use to turn whatever basic staples that were aboard the Normandy into delicious meals. There was also some Vermont Maple syrup and a large quantity of baking chocolate. Gabby OOO’d and Ahhh’d at each item but when they found the chocolate she squealed loudly and begged for brownies. This made those sitting at the table get up to come admire the gifts and add their own requests. 

Gushing from all the attention, Jess smiled and threw up her hands to calm all the requests. “Well I better get started. Let me see what I can do. I’m sure over time I can make all those things.” 

They unpacked the coolers which held perishable items, cheeses, milk, cream, yogurts, eggs… real eggs and milk not powdered. “Nice”, she thought to herself. “These items won’t last long.” She was surprised that all of it fit into the storage areas. The freezer was packed tight though and she had stored most of the meats into it. She decided to keep some of the ground beef out and make a few huge trays of Shepard’s pie. Since this is Commander Shepard’s ship she thought that it was a fitting choice for a first meal. 

Luckily, there were lots of fresh vegetables in the crisper. She was surprised at how everyone helped her unload and even carry the empty crates away. She found a long white apron in a drawer and put it on. She looked around to see smiling faces waiting hopefully. “This will probably take me at least an hour or more.” She admitted apologetically. There were embarrassed apologies back towards her, for the pressure they put her under, and most dispersed back to their work areas. They all promised to check back later. 

Taking a deep breath Jess pulled out a cutting board and got to work. She had the place smelling heavenly of sautéed garlic, onions and vegetables. She peeled potatoes with the help of Ken, who had offered to help only at the prodding of Gabby. Gabby had to trade places with him so they could keep an eye on engineering. Jess had seasoned the hamburger and everything was almost ready to bake. She made a huge batch of dough for crust and rolled it out to fill two long deep pans. She wasn’t sure how much food she would have to cook for everyone. They had not even planned to have a cook on staff this tour. MRE’s were the staple diet, the largest cabinet in the kitchen was packed full of them. Only those who really wanted to take the time to cook ever even used the kitchen area. 

Once she had the two trays in the oven she looked up her mother’s brownie recipe on her phone. Glancing through the supplies she found all that she needed. She would triple the batch and still have over half the chocolate left over for use on another time. She saw that there was cocoa too in the back of the cabinet. She could use it too but decided to wait. She better use the good supplies first before they disappear without her knowing. By the time the Shepard Pies were done she had the brownies ready to go into the oven. 

She heard loud voices approaching and looked up to see the Commander, Garrus and Liara coming her way. They were laughing at Shepard’s explanation of why she missed a shot on the Citadel. The smell of the food brought them straight to her. Quickly she rinsed her hands and wiped them dry on her apron. She saluted the Commander. “Jess Walker, Commander, I feel honored to be aboard the Normandy helping in any way I can.” She hoped she hadn’t stammered. 

Commander Jane Shepard returned the salute. “At ease Lieutenant, I heard you were coming aboard. I was briefed by Admiral Hackett personally. We are very thankful to have a cook finally. Although, I know you had to relinquish your rank for this position. I respect your dedication to helping us.” Shepard smiled genuinely and pulled up a barstool at the end of the counter and Garrus did the same as he sat down beside her and rested his arm across the back of Shepard’s chair. Jess had heard they were a couple, and as different as they were, they looked incredibly happy together. 

“That sounds like a story, giving up your rank to be a cook?...” Garrus queried but then quickly added. “I wished I could benefit from all this. We Turians can only eat dextro-fish, dextro-meat and dextro-cheese products. I don’t suppose you know how to prepare dishes with that?” he questioned hopefully. 

Jess smiled, “The story is simple and boring, I was wounded, and am not fully recovered… but until then I want to be a part of this team and if that means that I cook for you all then I am happy to do it.” There had been a lot more emotions that she went through to get to this point, but right now it felt like a very honest answer. She did feel thankful to be on the Normandy. “As far as the Dextro-foods I will look for some recipes and see what I can do.” She promised. 

“Lord that smells good! What is it?” Shepard asked.

Suddenly feeling embarrassed about her choice in meal she stammered. “Oh, well I thought, well, it’s Shepard’s Pie.” 

“Haha! Perfect! I can’t wait to have some!” Shepard laughed out loud which was a relief to Jess. 

“I actually think it’s ready.” Jess opened the oven and carefully pulled out one of the long trays. The potatoes and the slightly browned cheese on the top was perfect. The smell even made her stomach grumble. She pulled out some plates and scooped a large portion onto one for Shepard. She watched her intently as Shepard used her fork to bring a bite close to her mouth and blow on it to cool it down. 

When Shepard tasted the first bite she closed her eyes and groaned. “MMMMmmm MMM!” 

Garrus leaned close to Shepard’s ear and whispered something that Jess was pretty sure was not for her ears. Shepard laughed and elbowed him in the side but went right back to eating. He faked that she hurt him, to no avail. “I guess our date is over.” He sighed. Shepard was fully concentrating on eating her food. He got up smiling; he affectionately touched her on her shoulder before mumbling something to the effect that he better get back to calibrating the guns.

Jessica let anyone else come make plates. She took the second tray out of the oven and put the brownies in to cook. 

Shepard saw the brownies going in, “Is that brownies? Tell me that’s brownies!” 

“Yes, its brownies. I figured I would start out special. I’m not sure how our supplies will last but I figured I’d make a dessert today.” Jess smiled at how happy every looked. She made a plate for herself and sat down at the other end of the barstools away from Shepard.

Shepard motioned her over. “We are very informal here unless we are on a mission. You don’t have to sit so far away. Tell me about yourself? I like to know my crew.” 

Jess began to slide over when a very muscular man sat down on the stool between her and Shepard. “Food! Real food? Ahh man that looks great!” James made himself at home totally ignoring that he had pushed himself in between Shepard and Jess. He grabbed a plate and started filling it immediately. 

Shepard shook her head laughing as she introduced the intruder, “Jessica, this is Lt. James Vega. You’ll have to excuse his lack of manners. Like I said, we are pretty informal here. He can be quite a brute at times but he is a very good soldier and takes care of our armory for us.” 

James was suddenly aware there was a new person on board. He had already taken a bite of the food when he turned to see Jessica on the other side of him. He wiped his hand quickly and tried to swallow the food so he could speak. “MMM, Wow, I am sorry, nice to meet you. “ He stuck his hand out towards her.

Jess realized quickly that she still felt sick about not getting the position. Now she was sitting beside the person who got the job instead of her. She looked at his hand and slowly reached out. He seemed oblivious to her emotion as he quickly shook her hand and went back to eating. She was thankful that everyone was happily eating. She ate only a few bites of the food. It was good. She had out did herself, but she wasn’t really hungry anymore. She knew she needed to get over this. One day she would be a soldier again. She took a few more bites so people would not think she didn’t like her own food and she got up to clean up some of the dishes. 

Shepard leaned forward. “I will try to come by and talk to you sometime soon”. She took the last few bites of her food, got up from her stool and came around to the sink. Jess tried to take her plate but Shepard refused. Shepard spoke loudly, “Everyone, we may have a cook but she isn’t your maid. Wash your own dishes! That is an order.” Then Shepard turned to Jessica, “Save me a brownie… a big one, I will be back.” She made a large square with her index fingers and thumbs to signify the size piece she wanted. 

Jessica laughed, “Yes, of course Commander.” 

Shepard patted her on the arm and took off towards Liara’s room. 

Jessica had to step out of the way as people came up to either get a second helping or to wash their dishes. She leaned against the refrigerator. The first tray was finally empty and so she figured two trays was going to be plenty. More than half the ship had come to eat. There was no room in the refrigerator to store much leftover so she hoped it would all get eaten. She pulled out foil to cover the second tray leaving the edge loose so anyone could get more easily. 

She looked back at James who was just finishing his second plate. He looked like he was contemplating a third helping when he saw her covering up the food. 

“This is very good, I can cook some mean eggs but yea that’s about it for me and cooking.” He admitted. 

“Well, I hear you are good at other things.” She hadn’t even looked at him when she said the words. She meant it regarding his job, but as soon as she heard the words come out of her mouth she realized they could have a whole other meaning. 

“Ha! That’s what she said.” He laughed. 

Jessica rolled her eyes and immediately tried to elaborate, “I didn’t mean it … Geez I only meant that I heard you were good with guns and the armory.” She couldn’t think of a worse thing she could’ve said and her back peddling out of it was just making it funnier to him. 

“No need to explain!” He exaggeratedly flexed his muscles as he stood up. “I’m sure my reputation precedes me.” Winking at her, he added. “Just kidding, here I will help you clean up.” He came around to the sink and grabbed the first big pan and started scouring it with steel wool. 

“You don’t need to do that.” Jess countered, embarrassed about the whole incident. 

“Shepard’s rules, Plus I’m not leaving until those brownies are done and I get some.” He stated firmly as he turned the big container to rinse it off. 

Jess, took a deep breath and blew it out. He wasn’t even paying attention to her anymore. He was humming to himself and cleaning away. “What a weird guy.” she thought. But even after she thought that she realized it wasn’t a fair assumption. He was being helpful. He got the job he had because he was a great soldier too, even Hackett had said that much. She needed to get over herself. She should be thankful, everyone had welcomed her and she was aboard the Normandy. Jess wiped down the countertops and when the timer went off she pulled out the brownies to cool. 

“You are going to spoil us cooking like this.” James said but he never looked at her he just looked longingly at the brownies as he finished up the last pot. 

Jess relaxed a little. “Well hopefully if everyone is well fed they will perform at their best and we can kill more reapers.” 

James responded quickly. “Amen to that Amigo! Are those going to be cool enough to eat soon?”

Jessica started cutting the brownies into squares so they could cool down faster. She found a perfect spatula to remove a large square brownie for Shepard. She put it in a dish and covered it then wrote Shepard on the covering. She glanced over at Vega, “Go ahead but it’s hot still, some people like it that way.”

Chuckling again, “That’s what she… “He stopped before saying it again when he saw Jessica roll her eyes. “Sorry, ha, you just walk right into the perfect set up for that.” He added. He scooped out two big squares for himself and started to walk away. “Gracias!”

“You realize how many calories you are ingesting?” she spoke to his retreating back. 

“I’m a growing boy! Plus I will burn it off doing pull-ups. Laters!” James turned the corner and boarded the elevator to the shuttle bay with his brownies in hand. 

A few minutes passed and Cortez and two other soldiers exited the elevator and walked quickly to the kitchen. “ WOW real food? Oh Hey! I’m Cortez, this is Rodriguez and Monroe, welcome aboard the Normandy! We needed a good cook here. We can’t smell anything but fuel and gun cleaner down in the shuttle bay. If it wasn’t for James we wouldn’t even had known you were here or about the food.”

Jessica smiled and greeted each person. A few more people came from other areas of the ship. She met Joker and learned more about Edi. Edi spoke through the ship but Jessica had seen her when she entered the ship and knew that Edi also had a body that could walk around and even go on missions. The whole idea of an actual AI existing was mind-blowing. Jessica remained quiet but listened in amazement at how human and intelligent Edi sounded. Her jokes were actually funny. 

Liara came out of her quarters only long enough to make a plate of food and return to her terminals. She did thank Jessica quickly as she rushed off. Glyph hovered very close to Jessica, scanned her up and down, then stated her rank and name and welcomed her to the Normandy. All Jessica could do was blink and say thank you before glyph floated back to Liara’s quarters. 

Her first day on the Normandy was almost over. She was only required to cook two meals a day. She already planned out a breakfast casserole for the next day and the left overs were covered on the counter for those who wanted to come in later to eat. She wanted to explore the ship, take a shower, and then come check to see if the dishes are empty so she could wash them before she headed to bed. 

 

Jessica realized she only had access to the command level, Deck 3 and the Shuttle Bay. Apparently engineering was off-limits to anyone who didn’t work on that level. She was told she could find her extra dry good storage down in the shuttle bay if she ran out of any supplies. She pressed the elevator button to take her to the lowest level. The shuttle bay was where she would’ve worked if she had gotten the position she wanted. She could see James working off to the left and no one else was down here at the moment. Suddenly feeling nervous she reached into her pocket to pull out her supply list. She didn’t want to seem nosey but if James talked to her she wanted to have a reason for being down there. She could see her containers stacked on the left hand side before his section. 

She went over to her stores and started to move containers around checking the contents. 

“Need help?” James spoke behind her.

“Jesus!” she yelled startled. “Oh, sorry I didn’t hear you.” She tried to explain. 

Raising his hands in defense, “It’s cool, glad you didn’t have a weapon.” He laughed, “I might be dead for sneaking up on you like that, my bad.”

“I’m fine; I’m just checking the ship out and looking at what I have stored down here that I can use. It looks like just basic staples here.” She turned towards him nervously not knowing what else to say. He seemed to study her with great intent one moment then totally ignore her the next moment. “Probably a player” she thought. 

“Well there isn’t much down here but some supplies and the shuttles and a lot of guns. I’ll show you around though.” He motioned for her to follow and he started to point out all the different sections and showing her his work area as if she didn’t know anything about guns. 

She just remained quiet. She thought about correcting him a few times on his laymen terms he used to describe the guns and equipment. He obviously didn’t know who she was. It was better that way. She didn’t have a problem with him. She just hoped that there would be position open eventually for her to serve beside him and the other team members. She used to lead whole troops, now she was cooking for them. 

“Well, thank you for the tour. I better get back to my quarters”, she motioned towards the elevator as she started to turn away. He smiled and jumped up onto his pull up bar and started to do pull ups. She caught herself staring at his hard muscled frame for a little too long. 

“Later Ginger.” He spoke to her back. 

“It’s Jess not Ginger.” She replied over her shoulder.

“I give everyone nicknames. You have reddish brown hair and you cook and ginger is a spice… it fits… get it?” he added as she stepped in to the elevator he never lost his rhythm as he worked out. 

“Find a new nickname then because I hate Ginger.” Jess replied as the doors closed. 

“Hmmm Pepper?” James said it out loud but she was already on her way back to deck 3.

 

 

 

 

“


	2. Poker Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is part two of the story. It's where the MATURE rating comes into play. Game on.

The Best Lieutenant

Chapter 2

Jess was quickly becoming a favored member of the Normandy. She was surprised at how much she enjoyed watching people eat her food. The crew would often come and sit on the barstools in front of her work area and chat with her while she prepared meals. Cooking was always something she did with her mother when she was on leave, or occasionally for friends or comrades in the barracks. She had never fed this many people before. It wasn’t hard for her though, she even found that she had more free time than when she was a soldier. She socialized more in this position too. She still missed the action and she felt a pang of jealousy when she would hear that they were landing to go out to save someone or to get intel. But the job itself was pleasant and she knew she was appreciated.

While exploring the ship Jess had found that there was a room on the other side of the hall nearest the game room that was vacant. No one had wanted to use it because the room tended to be very warm. She heard that there was a Drell that used the room previously. He enjoyed the heat and dry air. She had no right to claim the room but when she had a chance to slip away she went in there to do her exercises and work her arm and shoulder out. She brought her tension bands and attached them to the pipes running along the walls at the far end of the room. 

She worked on her strength and core muscles. Her only main complaint, if she had one, was that the sleeping arrangements were terrible. She was a light sleeper and people coming in and out of the bunk room at all hours of the night, as they switch shifts, was causing her to lose valuable sleep. She had just finished doing her routine that ended with her sit ups. She lay on the floor in the back area of the room just catching her breath. It was very warm in here she thought. She couldn’t imagine sleeping here. But working out in here added a good sweat to her exercise routine. She was so tired. She lay sweating on the floor just closing her eyes for a moment.

She awoke to hear the door slide open and briefly noticed a toweled figure step into the room before the door slid shut again. She heard a bag being dropped on the floor. She tried to not make any noise as she peeked quickly around the corner and then pulled herself back out of sight. The person hadn’t seen that she was in the back of the room. She peeked around the corner again when she heard James voice cursing. Her breath caught her throat, he had dropped his towel and was completely naked as he struggled to pull his boxers on over his wet skin. 

She knew why he was probably in here. The bathrooms only allow for one person at a time to be showering or to use the facilities. Someone had obviously rushed him out of the men’s bathroom so they could go in. She couldn’t help but stare. She had to admire his physique. All his workouts really paid off. Damn, he had a nice ass she thought. He started to turn to grab his pants and she quickly ducked back out of view. Her foot hit the edge of the cot and made it scrape across the floor. She cringed and remained as silent as she could but now he was silent too. 

“Ginger, what are doing in here?” He stood shirtless with only his boxers on looking at her laying on the floor. 

She got up quickly, glancing around the room, trying to figure out where to look that wasn’t at his half dressed body, “I… I was working out earlier in here and I guess I fell asleep on the floor. I just woke up… I heard a noise but I didn’t look.” her face was redder than her hair and she could feel the heat from it. Being in a too warm room with a half dressed adonis didn’t help either. 

Her nervous blushing wasn’t lost on him. “Heh, well its like a sauna in here, you probably collapsed from a heat stroke trying to work out in this room. I just stepped in to get dressed. I got kicked out of the shower.” He nodded towards the door but didn’t move to put any more of his clothes on. He searched her face as he spoke, “You know you can work out in the shuttle bay?. I could help you.” 

There it was again that intense scrutiny. What was he after? She was nervous and embarrassed to be in such close proximity to this very attractive and well built man. She held his gaze only for a moment before heading towards the door.... “I’m fine, but thank you. Sorry I didn’t warn you that I was in here.” She quickly hit the door release and stepped out into the cool air of the hall. She headed to get her shower gear and clothes. She needed a cold shower and had just enough time to clean herself up before starting her dinner prep-work.

When dinner was served the main crew had just returned from Eden Prime. Shepard, Alenko and Liara looked exhausted but were in high spirits because they had found a living Prothean. The Prothean was named Javik and he was under quarantine for a few days just to make sure he was stable. Liara was beaming with excitement she couldn’t wait to speak to him more. It was interesting hearing them talk about what happened and how they were able to save him. This was the longest amount of time that Jess had seen Liara stay away from her monitors while aboard the Normandy. She normally took her food and rushed back to her quarters. 

James came up for dinner a little later than everyone else. Jess was washing the cooking pots in the sink when he moved beside her. “Mmm, looks fantastic... don’t you think?” He was holding his plate but she envisioned him in his bare form and she prayed he couldn’t tell where her mind went. 

“Lasagne seems to be a favorite.” She smiled and moved to the refrigerator to put some distance between her and the hot memory of James standing nude. She started to put the extra parmesan cheese away but as she picked it up, his hand came over hers half holding the container but also gripping her hand. 

“I want that.” he said quickly and smiled again as she released the container to him. 

Why was she reading so much into what he was saying? Was she really that hard up for attention? She turned and went back to the sink so she could finish cleaning up. James leaned against the stove behind her eating his lasagne. She wished she had not seen him naked because now it is what she thought about whenever she saw him. She laughed a little at herself for being in the gutter all the time.

She really wasn’t the man-crazy type girl. She was very military minded and a detail oriented perfectionist. She never had time for “boyfriends” although she had occasionally had mini relationships with someone who was quote “friend with benefits”. That is what worked for her. She didn’t think she wanted to go there with James. She could be reading him totally wrong too. She had been through a lot over the last few months. 

James finished his plate and moved back beside Jess at the sink. He didn’t seem to care anything about personal space as his arm touched hers while he washed his plate off. Without even looking at her he asked, “Ever play poker?”

Jess was already trying to move over to give him space when she was caught off-guard by his question. “Um, yes I have played Poker before. Why?”

James grabbed the wet cloth from the sink and twisted the extra water out of it. “I worked longer to finish my job, now I am free for the evening.. Let’s wipe this place down and go play cards.” It wasn’t a question, he was already wiping down the countertops for her. “Come on, don’t make me do all your work.” he smiled and motioned for her to help out. 

“You’re crazy.” she laughed but shook her head in resignation and started helping to clean up the rest of the kitchen. 

“Loco, is the word.” He countered. 

****************

They finished up the kitchen and went into the game room. Jess brought some popcorn and James brought some beer. Kaidan was in the room and they invited him to join but he took one look at the poker table and backed away quickly saying he lost enough money to James already. 

“We are playing for money?” Jess asked shocked.

“Of course, Unless you want to play for clothes but that wouldn’t be fair since you already saw me without winning even one hand of poker.’ James laughed as he said the last part only loud enough for her to hear. 

Blushing again she decided to laugh it off. She needed a break and to get past all this weird tension she felt around him. “I didn’t see… much.” she smiled then cringed at how that came across. 

“Oh! You wound me!” he faked insult but laughed at her obvious embarrassment.

Jess dug down into her pocket and found a $20 bill. She threw it on the table. “Match that then split the chips and whoever wins gets the pot.” 

“$20? That’s so cheap? I know you got to have more money than that.” he chided. 

“That is all I am willing to lose. When I win your $20 maybe I will throw $40 out next time.” she winked when she said it and realized that she was now in game-on mode…let the smack-talk begin. 

Grinning widely, “That won’t happen Ginger, but I guess we can start with this low jackpot.” he laughed as he pulled out a chair for her to sit down. He separated the chips then popped open two beers handing her one. 

The beer tasted heavenly. She couldn’t remember when she had last had one. “Damn, that is good.” she murmured 

“That's what she said.” He joked again as he dealt the cards.

She had to swallow quickly to keep from spitting her beer out.”You realize that is one of the oldest jokes?”

“It’s classic funny. Like me.” he replied winking. 

“You are very confident in your charm Vega.” she shook her head as she reached for her cards. 

They played for hours. James was surprised at how well she played. Whenever he would win a hand she would win the next one. The popcorn was gone and he had the last beer out of a 12 pack. Jess was on her 5th beer even though she had previously proclaimed the 4th beer to be her last. 

Jess looked at her watch, She was really buzzing from the beer and at the rate they were playing she could see the possibility of being there hours longer without a winner. They were alone in the room and it was her turn to deal. She slid all her chips into the middle of the table and gave him her most challenging smile. “All or nothing... Are you game?” 

James held her challenging gaze as he played with his chips. Smiling he countered. “Well I believe I have a few more chips than you do. So I will meet your bet if…” and he paused. “You add your hair tie to the pot.” and he gathered his chips in a pile and started to move them forward but then paused to wait for her reply.

Oh now he is really flirting, she thought. She felt so good with the buzz she had going she figured, why not? Slowly she reached up and pulled her hair band out of her hair and let her auburn hair fall around her shoulders. She held his gaze as she dropped it on top of the chips. His mouth opened slightly but he didn’t speak for a moment. 

“Damn, Ginger its like night and day, you are all school teacher/librarian turned super model, just like that.” he shoved his chips on top of hers.

“It’s just the beer goggles you are wearing soldier.” she laughed but appreciated the compliment. 

She dealt the cards and was pleased to see she had two 10’s and an 8. On the table there was another 8. Now she had two pairs. Since there was no need to bet between rounds she slowly flipped over the last two cards. She watched James expression, he seemed happy. She knew even if he had a flush she could beat him with another 10 or 8. The first card was a Jack … slowly she turned the last card. It was a 10. She smiled. He smiled. They laid out their cards and sure enough… he had a flush and she beat him with a full house. 

“Damn, you got me!” he laughed in dismay. “That is exactly how I beat Alenko the other day. I should’ve guess you might have me with that. Well, I still won, I got to see you let you your hair down.” He winked and started cleaning up the table. 

Jess stood up and swayed a little. “Whoa, I think I better not finish that last beer.” She grabbed the two twenties and stuffed them in her pocket. She leaned against the glass wall that ran around the table. She spied her beer bottle and lifted it to examine the contents. It was empty. “Oh, I guess I did drink that 5th beer.”

James was quickly resetting the table back to its pre-game condition. “Who’s counting.” he laughed. 

He didn’t seem to even be fazed by the beers he had drank. She knew he had taken the last one so he had 7. “Thaat was fun, thank you.” she slurred a little as she started to move past him to leave. 

He put his hand up for a second to stop her. “Can I ask you something?” 

He was serious and she stopped, leaning back against the glass again so she could focus and balance herself. She wondered what he wanted to know. “I guess. But you realize I am intoxicated so there is no telling what I might say.” 

“Rumor is... “ and he paused. “You wanted to serve on this ship and that you are a Lieutenant like me with a very good service record.” His eyes searched hers but she remained quiet. “and… you were hurt and lost out on serving here as a soldier.” 

“That’s not really a secret.” she replied quietly. 

“I don’t know if I could do that. If you have the same rank as I do then you have led other soldiers and now you cook for them? That’s a big sacrifice. I would be sulking in a gym beating myself up until I got better instead of helping out like you are.” he admitted. 

She tried to play down her choices. “Well I can cook more than eggs.” She smiled. “If I couldn’t I might be sulking in the gym.” She admired his features as he smiled at her response. “I’ve had a few pity parties for myself. I work out where I can and one day I hope to fight beside you and the rest of the crew.” 

He leaned forward, “I’ll have your back.” He reached for her arm and pulled lightly. “Come on.”  
he pulled her towards the door and then immediately to the right into the hot room. 

“What? Lord, we will be zombies in the morning if we don’t get some sleep.” she mildly complained but she let him lead her.

He moved the cot away from the wall and grabbed the tension bands. He pulled her around in front of him and tied one of the bands to the wrist of her bad arm. “You should let me help you work out your shoulder.” 

The heat in the room was magnified by his presence. She looked down at the band tied around her wrist and images and thoughts went through her mind. She laughed as she touched the knot he had tied because she realized quickly that she wanted more from Vega than his lessons. He was reaching for the other band to add more tension when she stopped him by placing her hand on his chest. “What are you doing?” 

He sensed the change in her. Sheepishly he responded. “I’m going to help you.” He started to reach for her wrist but she caught his and quickly tied the extra band around his wrist. 

Leaning in close to him, “Ok, help me.” 

Now he was blushing, “I wasn’t trying…” 

“Look, I don’t do boyfriends. I do friends… with benefits… and only if I am very attracted to the person. Right now, you have my full attention Vega… and we are both tied up in this hot room. Do you want to work out my arm? Or can I suggest something else?” her voice was sultry from the alcohol. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders and she leaned her body into his.

“Mmm, Ginger, I damn… are you sure?” he questioned but she was already pressing against him and lifting her face toward his... he didn’t wait for an answer as his mouth came down on hers. He groaned and pressed her back against the wall. His free hand went into her hair locking his fingers in it as he kissed her harder. 

Jess worked on the buckle of his pants as his hands slid under her shirt and released her bra in back before he circled around front to caress her breast. They wanted their clothes off and quickly realized the tension bands were more trouble than they were worth. James stepped back for a moment his pants undone. They were both breathing heavy. “Changed your mind?” she asked smiling.

“No.” He said in a new determined tone. He untied his wrist and pulled his shirt over his head. He knelt down in front of her and used his teeth to jhelp loosen the knot at her wrist. Kissing her hand and then stomach he started to undo her pants as she pulled her shirt over her head. He made short work of her buckle and helped her step out of her pants. He left her panties for the moment and nuzzled his face into her crotch. She ran her fingers through his short hair. His mouth moved over her thighs and on top of the thin lace panties. He wrapped his arms around her legs and held her tight and blew his hot breath onto the front of her privates before moving higher to bite the edge of her panties and pull them down. 

His hands roamed her backside as his tongue flicked between her legs tickling her clit as he held her in place. She groaned and arched her body towards him. She wanted to open her legs for him but he held her tight just teasing her with his tongue. She tried to pull him up begging for more and when that didn’t work she tried to kneel down to him. His mouth was sweet torture on her skin. “Please” she begged but he continued faster until she arched against the wall and he could feel her twitching with orgasm.

He pulled her down and underneath him as he easily slid out of his pants. She kicked off her underwear. His mouth was on hers and he moved between her legs. He was hard as a rock and nicely endowed. He let the head of his penis press against her without entering. He loved the Tantric torture. He kissed her mouth her face her neck as his fingers locked in her hair. He leaned away from her and while he still kissed her he took the head of his cock and let it tap against the front of her clit sending shock waves through her body and doing a wonderful equivalent to himself. 

They were drenched in sweat as their hands and mouths explored each other. He was ready now and he wanted to have her fully. He moved between her legs and slowly entered her. The sweet torture he had put her through had tightened all her muscles. Her insides twitched around him and opened slowly as she groaned and arched her body towards his. They moved together in magical ecstasy. Riding the waves of pleasure as she wrapped her legs around him allowing him to go deeper. His long strokes sent her over the edge and as she climaxed the clenching of her body sent him over the edge. 

The lay together in a hot sexy sweaty mess on the floor trying to catch their breaths. A noise outside in the hall startled them still for a moment. James rolled both of them out of view around the corner and quickly grabbed the few articles of clothing that were in sight of the door just seconds before it slid open. They both held their breaths. 

It was one of the patrol guards, “I thought I heard something in here.” 

Over the intercom Edi’s voice spoke. “Corporal Smith you are needed in Engineering.”

The Guard paused as he eyed the room. “Ok, I will be right there.” he responded as he backed out of the room and headed to the elevator. 

James and Jess looked at each other wondering if Edi had purposely saved them… and if she did… Did she watch everything they had just done?

“Do you think?” Jess started to ask.

Edi spoke over the intercom just in their room. “You two have a small window of opportunity to get to the showers before being seen by the next guard that is doing his rounds... You’re welcome”.

“Um, Thanks.” James replied to the intercom. 

They quickly dressed and just as they started toward the door James turned quickly and kissed her hard one more time. “Thank you Ginger.”

Smiling satisfyingly, “It's Jess.”

“Ginger… it fits.” was his response as he stroked her hair. 

“That's what he said.” She laughed and kissed him back before slipping out the door and off to the women’s showers and then her bunk.


End file.
